In particular, the invention relates to a vehicle door handle that is to be installed on a motor vehicle, wherein the vehicle door handle has a handle and a handle mount, wherein the handle is mounted in the handle mount. Such a vehicle door handle assembly is installed on a vehicle door in that the handle mount is placed on the inner surface of a door panel, thus on the side facing the vehicle interior, while the handle is disposed on the outer surface of the panel, such that it can be actuated by the user. In this manner, the door panel lies between the handle and the handle mount. Projections on the handle extend through holes in the door panel, and are coupled to the handle mount.
The handle is in the form of an elongated body, wherein bearing sections are formed at both longitudinal end sections of the handle. Depending on the design of the door handle, as either a stationary door handle or as a pivotal door handle, the bearing sections are coupled to the handle mount in either a stationary or moving manner.
A grip section is formed in a middle section of the handle, such that it can be gripped by a user.
With a stationary door handle, the bearing sections are coupled in a stationary manner to the handle mount. This coupling is obtained in the initial installation and the door handle interacts with an electrically actuated latch (e-latch). The handle then serves in particular as an access possibility for opening the door, and may contain electronic sensors and other components that release the electric door latch when a user grasps the door handle.
With a pivotal door handle, on the contrary, one end section of the handle is configured as the actuating section, with an associated bearing section. In a second end section along the longitudinal alignment of the handle of the pivotal door handle, a pivotal section is formed with the associated bearing section. The pivotal section and the actuating section are accordingly disposed on opposite longitudinal ends of the handle.
The actuating section of a pivotal handle is referred to in the present application as such because it extends with its bearing section into the handle mount, and interacts mechanically with actuating means there, to transfer a movement of the handle to the actuating means. This section can thus move when a user grasps or reaches behind the grip section and exerts a pulling force. The actuating section is then deflected, and the associated bearing section actuates the actuating means in the handle mount.
The pivotal section is formed on the other end of the handle in a pivotal door handle. The bearing section of this pivotal section is received in a pivot bearing of the handle mount, such that the handle can be pivoted when the user pulls on the grip section in a guided movement through interaction of the bearing section of the pivotal section and the pivot bearing. The handle is thus pivoted in one direction in a pivot bearing, and thus deflected at the other, distal end from the pivotal section (the actuating section), to actuate the actuating means in the handle mount.
Regardless of the type of door handle, thus with both stationary door handles as well as with pivotal door handles, at least one antenna with a control circuitry is disposed in the handle itself, wherein the control circuitry includes signal lines, which pass through the handle to the handle mount. Electromagnetic signals can be transmitted via the antenna in the handle.
Vehicle door handles of this type are known in the field. By way of example, a generic vehicle door handle device is known from EP 2 772 986 A1.
The antennas disposed in the vehicle door handle are frequently low-frequency antennas, which transmit trigger or waking signals to electronic vehicle keys for so-called keyless entry systems. There is, however, an increasing desire for more complex communication in motor vehicles.
The object of the invention is to improve the functionality of a vehicle door handle.